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Thai Activist Detained by Police For Walking

Pansak Srithep was arrested by authorities on Saturday in Thailand’s capital for making a symbolic walk to a police station. His son was killed by an army sniper during the Red Shirt protests in Bangkok in 2010, and Pansak was one of the four activists from the Resistant Citizen, an anti-coup group, charged with violating martial law for organising a mock election on Valentine’s Day.

Obviously the authorities do not tolerate any forms of peaceful assembly, as defined in the past repression of rallies and the strict enforcement of martial law. So far, there is no indicator of pro-democracy reforms by the minority elites despite the promises from the junta and the military-controlled national legislative assembly. Even then Thais continue, sometimes almost haphazardly, in the attempt to bend the will of the military powers, until perhaps one day more will join in the quest for self-determination.